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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. club — a group
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. land — a country
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. fall — the season
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — for golf
  13. land — to come down
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. board — to get on
  20. land — ground
  21. can — to be able to
  22. board — a committee
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pass — a permit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com